


Seventh One - The Barian Shark

by bluemisfortune



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-05
Updated: 2017-05-05
Packaged: 2018-10-28 10:14:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10829187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluemisfortune/pseuds/bluemisfortune
Summary: "You can’t just magic up your own overpowered cards and call them legal.”“Isn’t that what you hero types do?”





	Seventh One - The Barian Shark

 Nasch- 

 No, Ryouga hits the ground hard. 

 IV stares. As if he doesn’t quite believe it either. The win screen flashes up. 

  _Winner IV._

 Ryouga stares up at the pink sky above him. IV is frozen, staring. There’s just silence. Ryouga can’t believe it. All the times he’s beaten IV, duelled beside him, pushed his new Numbers against him because IV is the greatest test for any new strategy he plans to take into battle. All that time and Ryouga loses  _ now _ ?

 

 “Ryouga?”

 His footsteps are approaching and Ryouga takes a slow breath. In and out. He blinks slowly and when he opens his eyes IV is in his line of sight. He’s leant over. Standing over Ryouga, hands on his hips. A concerned frown. Ryouga stares back for a moment before closing his eyes again and leaning his head back on the tarmac. 

 “The hell kinda broken monster is that to pull out on the first turn, asshole?” 

“V said not to mess around.” Ryouga laughs. IV laughs too. “You really like lying around on the ground, huh?”

 “And who’s fault is it I’m down here?” 

 “I think you just like making me do all the work.”

 “It’s easy for you and your made up cards. You can’t just magic up your own overpowered cards and call them legal.”

 “Isn’t that what you hero types do?”

 Ryouga opens his eyes and IV offers a hand. Hero type? Him? IV still thinks of him like that? Yuuma’s having way too much effect on this guy. Ryouga reaches up and takes his hand slowly, grasping his wrist purposefully over the gemmed bracelet. IV gasps and a shiver jolts through him. He’d been right, thinking it was connected to IV’s soul in someway. That’s why he’d looked in pain when he chaos summoned. 

 Although, he regrets it a moment later when IV jerks away and drops him back to the ground with a thud.

 “Asshole,” they hiss at the same time. 

 They stare at each other for a moment before they both laugh. This time IV holds out his other hand. Ryouga smiles, going to take it again but IV shakes his head.

 “Numbers. I beat you. I want your Numbers. Don’t make me do it the old fashioned way.”

 Ryouga scowls at him and gets himself up, glaring at IV the entire time. Weren’t men like him supposed to be gentlemen? Why is it IV is gracious in defeat but an asshole of a victor? He grumbles, taking his Numbers and holding them out with a scowl - not a pout, in no way a pout. 

 

 “So, now what?” Ryouga says and IV flicks through his Numbers and holds out his hand again. Ryouga narrows his eyes for a moment before relenting and handing over Shark Drake. “Satisfied?”

 “Very. Given you stole him from III and then turned him on me. I’m going to give him back to III.”

 “I didn’t steal him,” Ryouga snaps, following IV as he turns and walks away. “III threw him at me. And personally I think he’s creepy and possessive and way too clingy-”

 “So, he’s Yuuma?” Ryouga pauses. Well… He shakes his head. He’s not going to think about that. IV stops and Ryouga almost walks into him. But IV turns and Ryouga steps back as Shark Drake is suddenly in his face. “IV?”

 “You stopped using him after you started thinking you might be Barian,” IV says. “He’s your partner and he wants to be with you, right? Don’t ever throw away your partner like that again.” Ryouga nods and takes Shark Drake, stowing him away safely once more. “Or us. We’re your friends, moron. You could be Barian or some undead king or a disgraced, cheating Asian champion or the Queen of Sheba-”

 “What?”

 “Nevermind, the point is, you’re our friend, and if it’s important to you and they’re your friends, then it’s important to us and they’re Yuuma’s friends too.” Ryouga doesn’t bother pointing out IV not including himself in that. “So, stop being a diva and lone wolf-” 

 Who the hell told IV he’d said that?!

 “- and let’s get our hero trio and a half back together and find a better way.” 

 “I think I broke most those-”

 “You say broke those bonds and I will smack you,” IV says, walking off again. “People are fighting to give Yuuma time to get away and save you.” Ryouga doesn’t point out it was IV fighting to save him, no one else. “Besides, Yuuma says what’s broken can do fixed. And while I imagine his idea of fixing something is pouring glue all over it, he has a point.”

 “That doesn’t mean you can’t still see the cracks,” Ryouga murmurs, following behind him. 

 “Oh, you’re all kinds of pathetic today.”

 Ryouga nods, taking The Seventh One from his deck, gazing down at it as they walk. He wasn’t strong enough. He’d lost so quickly. Although that’s partly because of Thomas’ stupid made up cards. He’s lost his powers. Again. He’ll have to find another way.

 

 Suddenly the card is glowing. There’s an echoing roar and Nasch is plunged into darkness. The card floats in front of him, changing into something new. A Number? 

 The Number seeps from the card. A dragon. A huge dragon like beast, with jagged wings and razor sharp teeth. A bright red jewel glows in its chest and it long tail wraps around his body hauling him from the ground in the darkness. The tail wraps around him completely, keeping his arms pinned and his legs still. He stared up at the creature, suddenly realising it looks like the crest around his neck. 

 Or that had been around his neck. He suddenly realises it’s not there anymore. 

 “Nasch,” calls a voice in the darkness. A voice he’s sure he knows. “Nasch. I am Don Thousand. You creator. I will give you one last chance, Nasch. Accept my power into your soul once more. Accept me completely. Allow me to become a part of you.”

 “Last time something said that, I got stuck with Shark Drake,” Ryouga chokes out. 

 The dragon screeches and the tail tightens around him, cutting off his air with crushing force. “Then you will need to be persuaded more forcefully.” 

 Nasch is struggling to breathe, his vision is darkening. He struggles and gasps, staring up at the dragons as a familiar warm darkness invaded his body. 

 

 “Ryouga!” Ryouga blinks and IV is glaring into his eyes. “Oh, you’re back, huh?”

 “What-”

 “Any other Numbers you want to admit to holding back? Or do I have to pat you down?”

 “You keep your hands off me,” Ryouga snaps, jerking away and stepping around him. His hand brushes his throat as he walks. Was Don Thousand was trying to possess him or something? “I don’t know where that thing came from.”

 “It’s probably evil,” IV says, gazing down at the card as they walk. “I mean, it’s a stupid punny name, obviously evil. Like Ark Knight.”

 “What’s wrong with that?”

 “Silent Honours?” Ryouga tilts his head. “It’s spells SHArk Knight.”

 “Oh.”

 “You didn’t notice?”

 “I was thinking about other things.”

 “Uh-huh. So I guess you missed that this is a Seventh One pun?” Ryouga frowns and holds out the card. The same dragon that had tried to kill him. Looking oddly like his crest. “71? Seven. One.”

 “Oh.”

 “It’s terrible. All these awful card names.”

 “Consider it my fanservice to you.”

 “Don’t ever say that again,” IV says firmly. “It’s probably a good job I’m keeping hold of this anyway. With a name like Rebarian Shark, it’ll probably try to turn you back into Nasch.”

 “Yeah...” Ryouga mutters. “Probably.” 

 He pauses and smiles a little. He has to put his faith in doing things the human way again. It’s served him well so far. So has Shark Drake. He’ll try to do so again. So he snorts and folds his arms, turning away from IV slightly.

 “At least my made up cards aren’t ridiculously overpowered. 4000 points of damage and a special win condition? As if Destiny Leo wasn’t ridiculous enough, you felt the need to upgrade it? Who thought letting you have a monster like that was a good idea anyway?”

 “Probably the same people who thought it was a good idea to make an alien king an emotional teenage loser with a crush on the hero of our story.”

 “I hope you don’t mean you.” IV laughs and Ryouga scowls at him. “Let’s just get this over with. I’m not looking forward to seeing Kaito’s smug face.”

 “I never look forward to seeing Kaito’s face full stop.” 

**Author's Note:**

> So what started as me being so amused by how unsubtle 71 Rebarian Shark is turned into something slightly hellsharky and I regret nothing.


End file.
